The Housing Bubble Blog

The Bulletin reports from Oregon. "Joel and Julie Cohen bought their three-bedroom home in southwest Bend two years ago, thinking that, in a couple of years, they would sell and move up. Two years later is now." "The problem is, there are more than 1,400 single-family homes for sale in Bend this...

The Associated Press reports on California. "Greg Sterbens thought his 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath home on a cul-de-sac in wine country was a great deal when he hung up a 'For Sale' sign two months ago. List price: $685,000. After a month without offers, Sterbens lowered the price to $660,000. Earlier this...

A Idaho Statesman report from the Idaho Stateman. "Price slashing and builder concessions to buyers are becoming commonplace in the Treasure Valley. The triggers have been a triple-digit jump in inventory numbers and runaway home-price appreciation rates during the last 18 months." "In the last six...

A housing report from the Boston Herald. "More than a year after home prices peaked, the Bay State housing sector is entering what experts predict will be its second straight soft autumn market. Buyer’s broker Gary Dwyer recently took a house hunter out to look at Allston condos and lined up some...

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The Contra Costa Times in California. "Nicole Dalesio and her husband have been looking for a home in the Tri-Valley for more than a year. 'You'd think we had a lot to choose from, but no,' Dalesio of Pleasanton said. 'And now, all of the sudden, the prices are dropping.'" "With buyers and sellers...

MarketWatch reports on home loans. "Homeowners don't fully understand the risks associated with taking on alternative mortgages that allow interest-only payments or that eat into the equity in a home, federal officials told senators. The FDIC found that exotic loans were more prevalent in the...

Newsday reports on Long Island. "John Giamarino wants to pay your mortgage. The catch? You have to buy his house. In the latest incentive to hit the local real estate market, the Seaford resident and his wife are offering to make a year's worth of mortgage payments for the buyer of another home...

The Arizona Daily Star reports from Tucson. "Some people living near The Greens at Ventana Canyon have wondered what is happening with a condo conversion that started there at the beginning of the year and doesn't appear to have made much progress in the meantime." "'My daughter and I walked...

The USA Today reports on flipping. "The vanishing act of speculators is accelerating the decline in home sales this year. That's giving buyers a bonanza of choices. It's also a stark reminder of the cyclical nature of real estate." "Short-term real estate investors are learning how hard it is to...

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The LA Times takes us back to California. "For the first time since the latest housing boom started six years ago, home price appreciation for each of the six Southern California counties has fallen to single-digit levels or worse, data released Tuesday showed." "'People have become scared about...

The Myrtle Beach Online from South Carolina. "Sales for homes and condominiums fell again in August on the Grand Strand. Home sales dropped 22 percent and condo sales dropped 52 percent compared to August 2005. 'Believe it or not, prices have not gone down. It's just that inventories have gone...

The Voice of San Diego reports on appraisals. "The warm security blanket of San Diego's booming housing market has been tugged away by negative trends across the board: a 25 to 30 percent decline in sales, a $10,000-plus drop in prices and an inventory level that has swollen to more than 200...

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A report from Wilmington, North Carolina. "Driving into North Topsail Beach, it is hard not to notice 'For Sale' signs sprinkled through front yards. The red hot real estate market in the area had driven up property values in Onslow County dramatically, which drove property taxes up as well. In the...

The housing starts numbers are out. "The pace of U.S. home building fell more sharply than expected in August as builders broke ground on new homes at the slowest rate since April 2003, a government report showed on Tuesday. The Commerce Department said U.S. housing starts fell 6.0 percent n August...

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An after hours report from a homebuilder. "Home builder Meritage Homes Corp. on Monday said it expects third-quarter results to be at the low end of its guidance, as net new home orders so far during the quarter are off 38 percent from a year ago." "'Demand has slowed and resale inventories have...